You could make your own concertina book to hold your brilliant story. Mara the Storyteller is here to show you how! Scroll down to the bottom to see handmade books from more of your favourite authors and illustrators. 

Make a simple concertina book with step-by-step tips from Mara. Then fill it with your own story, inspired by her fabulous tale.

1. The character of you 

In Planet Omar, the writer Zanib Mian shows us character sketches to help us get to know Omar and his family. 

Make a sketch of yourself. You could look in the mirror! 

Add notes about:

• What you look like

• The things you say, and things you do

• What you like and dislike

• What makes you laugh. 

• Is your hair swishy like a mermaid or spiky like a punk?

• What puts an enormous smile on your face?

• What makes you so shy or cross your skin rages like river?

Omar tells us all sorts of things about his life at home, at school and in his imagination. Inside his head lives an enormous dragon… 

Who lives inside your head? It might be a cuddly cat when you’re feeling content? A striped tiger when you’re angry or scared? 

2. Your spark! 

Everyone has something about them that makes them who they are – their own special spark or power. 

In the story Look Up!, the character Rocket loves space and looking at the stars! 

In Loud!, Abigail discovers that she can channel her noisy voice and limitless energy into something wonderful: she realises she is a brilliant singer! She is invited to join her classmates’ new rock band, and they perform at the school talent show where they ‘shine like stars’. 

Have a think about what your ‘spark’ might be. 

It could be: 

• Something you love doing 

• A special talent you have 

• A part of your personality – your kindness; your funny robot dance; your loud laugh; your memory

• A dream or wish 

• Something you want to do when you grow up 

You could ask someone else to tell you what’s special about you. 

The children in See What I Can Do have different likes and dislikes, needs and challenges. Sadie adores gymnastics and her friend Summer finds joy in dancing and singing. They have Down’s Syndrome which makes their bodies develop differently. Jayden and Elsie are brilliant performers and storytellers. They have ADHD, and they like talking and showing off at high volume!

Storymakers use the world around them to help build the world of their stories. 

Think about your home, your school, your favourite place or the places you spend time in your daily life. 

You could use a photo or draw a picture. 

• What can you see there? (Big buildings, hills, a massive sky?)

• What can you hear there? (swooping birds, trundling traffic, ice cream vans, the whoops and songs of the playground?)

• What can you smell there? (the salty sea, the bread from the bakery, fumes from cars and motorbikes?)

• What does it feel like to be there? 

4. Let your imagination loose! 

In Nimesh the Adventurer, Nimesh uses his imagination to turn his life into an exciting fantasy. 

His classroom becomes an ancient cave inhabited by a dragon; the school corridor is the bottom of the ocean. 

• What magical elements can you add to your real world? 

• What's the best way you use your imagination?

© Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik (2019) reproduced by permission of Hodder Children’s Books, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Books, Carmelite House, 50 Victoria Embankment, London imprint, EC4Y 0DZ. Except as otherwise permitted by your national copyright laws this material may not be copied or distributed further. 

Look Up! Illustration © Dapo Adeola 2019. Look Up! is co-created by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. Except as otherwise permitted by your national copyright laws this material may not be copied or distributed further. 

© Development sketches, roughs and unpublished alternative covers for “Loud!” by Rose Robbins (2021). You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work. 

© See What I Can Do! by Jon Roberts, illustrations Hannah Rounding. Published by Graffeg 2021, all rights reserved. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work. 

Nimesh the Adventurer. Text © Ranjit Singh, 2018. Illustration © Mehrdokht Amini, 2018. Lantana Publishing, 2018 https://lantanapublishing.com/ You may not use the material for commercial purposes. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work. 

Windrush Child Text, © 2002 John Agard Illustrations © 2022 Sophie Bass From JOHN AGARD’S WINDRUSH CHILD Written by John Agard and illustrated by Sophie Bass Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London, SE11 5HJ

Try asking yourselves the following questions:

• What do you love more than anything in the world?

• What interesting adventures have you had?

• When did you overcome a challenge or find your voice?

• If you were an animal, what would you be?

In Keep Dancing Lizzie Chu by Maisie Chan, Lizzie's grandpa tells her stories about Chinese legends and the Goddess Guan Yin. Lizzie also loves Strictly Come Dancing and the beach in Blackpool. These old tales and the seaside culture are all part of her heritage. As she goes on her road trip to Blackpool, Lizzie finds out all about Guan Yin's ancient journey, and the stories from the past inspire her to keep going on her own challenging journey.

In The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries, by J.T. Williams, we find out all about the vibrant Black community that existed in the UK 300 years ago. J.T. says, ‘I grew up in London and I love walking its streets and learning about its past. History is filled with fascinating stories! For centuries, London has been a diverse city, home to people from Africa and the Caribbean and all over the world. When I discovered the stories of the Black communities living in Georgian London I was amazed. Now, when I’m walking, I can imagine those people of African heritage, walking the very same streets all those years ago. It’s like conjuring a whole new world!’

Now you’re ready to write your story! 

Is there a special journey you or your family or a loved one has been on that is a powerful part of who you are? Perhaps you or your family members once lived in a different place to where they live today.

Stories handed down through time

Maybe you've been gifted a story from a grandparent, parent, carer or teacher that's been magical and meaningful to you.

An object

Look for objects from the past - books, buttons, newspapers, diaries, letters. Maybe there's a recipe for a cake, curry or jollof rice that's been handed down through generations. What do they make you think or feel? If you were a museum, what would be in your glass cases? 

A moment in time

Think about a time in the past that's an important part of you. It could be a memory from when you were younger - a story someone told you, a meal you ate, a walk you took, a journey you went on. 

A Place

Is there a place in your neighbourhood from long ago that fascinates you - a street, a lighthouse, an old library, your school building, a river? Research it and find out more...

In John Agard’s Windrush Child, a little boy leaves the Caribbean, saying goodbye to his grandmother, to ‘mango mornings’ and to ‘storytime yard’. With his parents, he sets sail on Empire Windrush, a ship that will take him over a rolling ocean to ‘new beginnings’ in the UK. The book tells the tale of the real life ship, Empire Windrush, which brought hundreds of people from the Caribbean to the UK. They were invited by the British government to help rebuild Britain, which was so badly damaged during the Second World War.